Epidemiological Study on Subtype of HBs-Ag and Anti-HBs

Abstract

The subtypes of HBs-Ag and anti-HBs Were examined on 1391 subiects of the periodic multiphasic health tests performed by the Institute for Adult Diseases, Tokyo Women's Medical College and 90 members of the families of 20 probunds who had liver diseases and were admitted by the Institute of Gastroenterological Medicine (8 of acut hepatitis, 6 of chronic hepatitis, 3 of liver cirrhosis, and 3 of hepatocellular carcinoma).
The antigen positive rate of the suhjects of the tests was 1.4%, and their antibody positive rate was 27.4%, while those of the lineage of liver diseases Were 41.1% and 34.4%, respectively; the latter were obviously higher than the former, and particularly the antigen positive rate of the latter was higher.
As to the subtypes, adr of the antigen and R of the antibody Were predominant both in tbe subjects of the tests and the lineage of liver diseases. In the linage of liver diseases, the group of liver cirrkosis and hepatocellular carcinoma showed accumulation of antigen and antibody in brothers, sisters and children. Only one family having the adw subtype was of acute hepatitis, and the rest families had all adr and R. The subtype was never different in a family.